Delhi High Court asks Centre to examine oxygen availability in other states

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Monday expressed concern over the rise in COVID-19 cases and asked the Centre to examine the availability of oxygen in different states for diverting it to areas of surge and said "it is evident that the healthcare infrastructure is at the stage of imminent collapse".

Taking stock of the current pandemic situation, the high court asked the Central government to look into the aspect of shortage of oxygen supply in Delhi hospitals on an urgent basis. A bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli directed the Centre and Delhi government to file affidavits by Tuesday disclosing hospital-wise availability of beds for COVID-19 patients here. It said both the governments in their affidavits shall also give details as to how many hospital beds are with or without ventilators and oxygen support. "Central government shall examine the availability of oxygen in different states and its need for treatment of COVID-19 patients so that oxygen can be diverted to areas where there is a surge in cases and where it is most required," the bench said. It also directed the firm Inox, which used to supply oxygen to Delhi hospitals and has suddenly stopped, to restore the oxygen supply immediately. The high court was told that the firm was supplying oxygen to other states. "We direct Inox to honour its contract and supply oxygen to Delhi government and hospitals here and restore 140 metric ton oxygen supply to Delhi immediately which shall inturn be distributed to needy hospitals here," the bench said.

The high court, on its own, revived a disposed of petition related to COVID-19 testings and infrastructure, noting that the virus has raised its "ugly head" once again and the pandemic is raging with much greater intensity and "it is evident that the healthcare infrastructure is at the stage of imminent collapse". Central government standing counsel Monika Arora submitted that certain steps have been taken by the Centre on oxygen supply and availability of beds in hospitals and she will place the details on an affidavit. The high court was informed by petitioner advocate Rakesh Malhotra that a large number of laboratories have stopped home collection of samples and are also not taking fresh samples in view of the AAP government's direction to the labs to generate the reports in 24 hours or face action. The bench said it cannot appreciate this stand of the government.